Glove-protector.



No. 792,662. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. A. R. LIEB'EN-STEIN.

GLOVE PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 23, 190% iii/7755555 azzw UNITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER R. LIEBENSTEIN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

GLOVE-PROTECTOR.

Application filed December 23, 1904. Serial No. 238.061-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER R. LIEBEN- STEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Glove- Protectors; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description thereof, attention being called to the accompanying drawings, with the reference characters marked thereon, which form also a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for protecting gloves which are usually worn by firemen, stokers, engineers, molders, rolling-mill workers, &c., to shield the hands against heat and to protect them in rough work.

The particular manner of manufacture of the gloves themselves has no bearing on my invention, and the same is suitable for application to any style of glove and may also be attached after these latter are finished. They are usually made of leather in shape of a gauntlet or provided with a cuff, so as to extend well back from the hand in order to protect also the wrist. While they serve well to protect the hand against heat, there is nothing to protect the glove against being burned in spots where, for instance, hot implements or materials are handled and where they come in contact with the glove. Particular instances where hot implements are handled occur in connection with the firing of boiler-furnaces, especially such using forced draft, as is done in locomotives and certain types of steamboats. The iron implement (stoker or poker) used in such connection and when-handled or manipulated in one of these furnaces where the fuel is usually at a white heat becomes red-hot in a few moments, invariably burning the inner side of the glove, thereby soon rendering the same useless, although the larger part of it might still be in good condition. Since this kind of glove is rather expensive, it is my intention to provide a protecting shield or flap which is comparatively inexpensive, so that when burned through it may be thrown away and replaced by a new one. These flaps are so manufactured that they may be readily affixed to any of these gloves, and

their manner of attachment is so arranged that when to be used they may be stretched over the inner (palm) surface of the glove, extending also well over the inside of the fingers, so that whenever the iron poker-rod is gripped and handled the iron will come in contact with this flap only, which is next to it, and does not touch the glove itself. After use, meaning thereby when no hot object is to be handled and the flap is not needed to protect the glove against being burnedas, for instance, when an implement with a wooden handle, like a coalshovel, is usedit may be thrown back and held so, the glove appearing thei in its usual normal form and may be so use In the following specification, and particularly pointed out in the claims following, is found a full description of the invention, together with its manner of use and manufacture, which latter is also illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows the inner or palm side of the glove with my protecting-flap connected in position and adjusted for use. Fig. 2 shows a side view of the glove with the connected flap thrown back and held so while the same is not needed. Fig. 3 shows the same parts from the outer side of the glove, the manner of affixing the flap having been modified.

Fig. 4c in another side view shows the connected flap adjusted for use, its manner of attachment having been still further modified. Fig. 5' shows the flap detached and with parts broken away to illustrate the preferred way of its manufacture.

In the drawings, 6 illustrates this protecting-flap, and it may be provided for the two glovesof a pair or for one glove only. Its shape may best be seen in Figs. 1 and 5, the same being such as to cover the palm side of the glove and extending therefrom also laterally, as shown at 6, and forwardly, as shown at 6 to cover, respectively, part of the thumb and part of the fingers, so that when the hand starts to close, as shown in Fig. A, for the purpose of gripping an object said flap will be between this object and the glove, thereby protecting this latter. As to material, leather is preferred, and it may be of single or double thickness. I prefer two pieces of congruent outline stitched to each other near theiredges, as shown at 7, and with a layer 8 of heatproof material, like asbestos or mineral wool, between them. The heat-resisting quality of the flap is thus materially increased and its life lengthened. The flap is attached with its rear edge 9 to the glove in a position on this latter which is about at or near the base of the hand. The manner of its attachment may be more or less permanent. It may be by a row of stitches along edge 9, as shown in Fig. 1, or it may be by rivets 10, one each at the end of this edge. These rivets might also-be suitable catch devices, with spring action like the customary snap-catches used as glove-fasteners and consisting of a socket-piece and a complementary button fitted to enter it. It

vmight also be by straps 11 and buckles 12.

The straps might be altogether on the flap, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, one of the straps carrying the buckle, as shown in Fig. 3, or the buckle (one or two) might be on either one of the parts to be connected, and the straps might be on the other part, as shown in Fig. 4. Snapcatches similar to those mentioned before might also take the place of these buckles, as shown at 13 in Fig. 5. In either case the manner of connection is such that the flap may be turned or swung on its edge 9 either forward to cover the hand, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and in dotted lines in Fig. 2, or rearwardly, as shown in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The flap is held in the forward position for use by a loop 14, into which the two middle fingers are slipped, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. It is held in the rear position when not in use and, as shown in Fig. 2, by a suitable fastening device 15, which may be similar to or the equivalent of one of the spring snap-catches before mentioned, so as to permit quick changethat is, connection or detachment for adjustment from one position to another.

The manner of use is as follows: The flap is attached at its rear edge 9 to the glove by any of the various means described or other means equivalent thereto and which connection is permanent, meaning thereby it is. not disturbed as long as there is a possibility of using the glove as here intended unless renewal is required. Where rough usage or handling of hot objects takes place only intermittently, the attached flap may be worn turned back during intervals, as best shown in Fig. 2, thus permitting use of the glove in its usual manner. When a hot object is to be gripped, the flap is turned forward again over the hand, the middle fingers are bent and slipped into loop 14, and the flap is in position for protecting the glove. The entire change from one position to the other requires in either case only an instant.

The strap which forms loop 14 is connected to flap 6 by stitches through its ends. The connection is preferably strengthened by increasing the width of this strap at its ends to form ears 16, which are passed in through slits 17 in one of the members of the flap, so as to occupy a position between these two parts. The length of these slits is limited to the width of strap 14, so that when said ears are flattened out after passed through these slits disconnection is prevented by reason of this increased width beyond the point of insertion. Stitches are then passed through the edge of these ears and flap 6.

This flap 6 might also be an integral part of the glove-as, for instance, the lower part of the guantlet might be extended forwardly and cut to form the flap.

Having described my invention, I claim as new 1. A protecting-flap for a glove adapted to cover the inner or palm side of the glove and the inner side of the fingers, means whereby,

the rear edge of this flap is permanently attached to the base of the glove and means whereby the front part of the flap is detachably held to the fingers, to hold the flap extended for use over the palm side of the glove.

2. A protecting-flap for a glove adapted to cover the palm side thereof and extended to include the inner side of the fingers, means to connect its rear end to the rear part of the glove in a manner to leave the flap free to turn or swing at its point of connection and two sets of holding devices whereby its front end may be held either so that the flap covers the glove forward from the point of its OOH-r nection first mentioned or is held turned back therefrom.

3. A protecting-flap for a glove adapted to cover the palm side thereof and extended to include the fingers, means to connect its rear end to the rear part of the glove and a loop near the front end adapted to receive the fingers to hold thereby the flap stretched flat over the glove.

4. A glove-protector consisting of a flap of suitable material and shape adapted to cover part of the outside of a glove, it consisting of two layers with an intermediate layer of heatproof material like asbestos between them and means to attach the flap to a glove.

5. A protecting-flap for a glove adapted to cover the palm side thereof and extended to include the fingers, means to connect its rear end to the rear part of the glove and a loop near the front end adapted to receive the fingers to hold thereby the flap stretched flat over the glove, the ends of said loop being passed through slits in the flap and enlarged in width beyond the point of insertion, thus providing ears 16 to strengthen the connection.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER R. LIEBENSTEIN.

Witnesses:

C. SPENGEL, ARTHUR KLINE. 

